And some of those who have excelled at the shuttle runs, sprint tests and endurance time trials would no doubt have elevated themselves in the draft pecking order.
But history has shown that athletic ability is not the be-all and end-all for draft hopefuls.
You just have to take a look at the Lions’ own Tom Rockliff.
Despite being a standout player as a junior, Rockliff famously slipped through the cracks of the system before eventually joining the Club via the 2008 Pre-Season Draft.
It was commonly believed that he didn’t have the athletic capacity to become a star player in the AFL competition.
But three years - and a Lions Club Champion award - later, Rockliff has proven one of the many exceptions to the ‘athlete’ rule.
While his Draft Combine testing was far from outstanding as a junior, the 21 year-old has now elevated himself to become one of the Club’s elite runners.
Senior Coach Michael Voss said Rockliff is just one example of why it’s beneficial for recruiters to look beyond physical performance numbers.
“That’s where the deals can lie,” Voss said.
“There are some players that might not be as athletically gifted as others - and Tom Rockliff is the perfect example of that in our team.”
“He was one guy who probably didn’t have a lot of training under his belt, and testing-wise he didn’t do that well. But there were some extenuating circumstances to consider from that as well.”
Voss said players mature differently and might take longer to reach that desirable level of athletic ability.
“You have to recognise that one lad’s training age can be completely different to another’s,” Voss said.
“Some of these guys have been 400m or 800m runners for Victoria or Australia - or a standout high-jumper, long-jumper, or basketball player. A lot of them are junior athletes who have excelled in different fields and different sports.”
“Then there are others who haven’t had a lot of that type of training, and just focussed on played footy. But they’ve certainly got the footy smarts.”
“So while their results won’t necessarily stack up that well against others, it doesn’t mean that they won’t get their opportunity.”
